Door check and closer



T E. COLLINS. DOOR CHECK A'ND CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22, 1919.

132% Patented Sept. 21, 1920.,

UNITED STATES THOMAS E. COLLINS, OF-CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 22, 1919. Serial No. 346,726.

To all whom it may comer-n:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. CoLnINs, a citizen of the United States,residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Checks and Closers,ofwhich the'following is a specification.

My invention relates to non-liquid door checks and closers, the objectbeing to provide a simple and efiicient non-liquid device of this classwith few parts-in which the disadvantages inherent in the use of liquidare eliminated. A further object is to provide' a device of this classwhich can be used on right or left hand doors without any change ormodification whatever. A further object is to provide a non-liquiddevice of this class which positivel and gradually returns the door to aclose position without slamming. A further object is to provide a deviceof this claw with a brake for regulating the closing speed of the door-A further object is to provide a non-liquid check and closer whichprevents slamming and brings the door to an eas even, gradual stop whenopening. A rther object is to provide an adjustable device of this classwith resilient means for holding the door in open and closed position.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a door check and closer, embodying one formof my invention, showing it applied.

Fig. 2 is an enlar ed sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of E i 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlar d sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of certain of the parts more fully describedhereinafter.

Fig. 5 is a-sectional view of the arms at the point of connecting, asshown when in open position.

Referring to the drawings in detail. The door or swinging member shownin broken lines, is indicated by the numeral (10) and is mounted bymeans at a hinge (11) on the frame (12).

The construction shown consists generally of a casing having ears orlugs by means of which the casing is adapted to be mounted on a swingingmember, like a door or window, in which casing is mounted a shaftprovided with a spring motor adapted to operate the shaft in ,onedirection,

- bra e.

ounted in alined hearings in the casing is a driven shaft (17 whichshaft on one end extends outwardly beyond the casing.

of said shaft is a small gear wheel (18). Pivotally mounted on the sameside of the casing by means of a bolt (19) is a segmental rack (20)provided with internal gear teeth designed to mesh with the gear (18).Screwed to-the rack (20) or rather formed integral therewith, is an arm(21) which arm at its outer end, is pivotally connected to an extensiblearm (22). The arm (22), at its inner end, is pivotally connected to abracket (23)., which-bracket is screwed to the doorframe by means of thescrews shown. Mounted within the casing and surrounding the driven shaft(17 is a spring motor (24), which motor consists of a coil spring, theinner end of which, being attached to the collar (25), fixed to theshaft 17) and its opposite end to the anchor lug 26). Adjacent to themotor and rotatably mounted on the shaft (17 is an automaticall 0erated, centrifugally expandi is brake comprises a link (27 looselymounted on the driven shaft 17) to each end of which link, there isivotally connected aswinging shoe (28). ixed to each shoe is a weightedarm (29). Each vshoe is provided with a frictionally engaging surface(30), preferably of leather, Surrounding the perimeter of the brakeshoes, on the inside of the casing, is a brake drum (31), preferably ofleather. Mounted in the casing by means of a spindle shaft (32) is adouble-faced gear (33), one of which faces is designed tomesh with asmall gear (34), formed integrally with the hub of the link (27), whilethe other face is designed to mesh with the large gear, (35), which isalso loosely mounted on the driven shaft (17 but operatively connectedthereto when turning in one direction by means of a pawl and ratchet;The ratchet Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

Mounted on the outwardly extending end (36) fixed to the driven shaft(17) and rotatable therewith is designed to rotate the gear by means ofthe spring pressed pawl (37). When the shaft is rotated in onedirection, in the particular arrangement shown in Fig. 4 this actionwould take place when rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow.

As shown in Fig. 5, the arms (21) and are, at their pivotally connectedpoints, provided with means for resiliently holding the door in openposition. In the embodiment shown, the arm is provided with a groovehaving beveled sides and the arm (22) is provided with a lug Assumingthe parts assembled as shown in. the drawings, the operation is asfollows: The door or swinging member, of course 1s opened in the usualmanner, and while belng opened, by means of the arms (21) and (225 andrack (20) and gear (18), the shaft (17) iisicaused to rotate, thuswinding the spring motor (24) and storing up power therein. When theswinging member has reached its limit of movement, it is resilientlyheld in this position by means of the arms ('22) and (21) and theirconnection. VVhe'n it is desired to close the door, the operator gives aslight pull on the door to which the resilient connecting means ofthe'arms (21.) and (22) respond- The door then starts on its closingmovement. The moment this starts the ratchet (36) engages the springpressed pa\vl"(37) on the gear (35) which gear in tuin'meshes with oneof the faces on the gear (38). The'other face of the gear (33) mesheswith'the gear (34)"whic'h rotates the link (27), As the link (2-7)rotates, the weights (29) are by centrifugal force, thrown outwardlycausing the brake shoes (30) to frictionally engage with the brake band(31)311 thus produce a gradual regulated closing for as the speedof theshaft (17) increases, the frictional engagement of the brake shoesagainst the brake drum will be proportionally increased. The closingspeed of the shaft (17) can also'be regulated by'increasing ordecreasing the tension on the spring motor; I

It will be obvious from the foregoing drawings and description that Ihave pro duced a door check and closer which is inexpensive tomanufacture; which has exto leak out or evaporate. impairing theoperation of the device; which has no packing or parts to wear out;which has no back pressure from oil passing through small hole when dooris being opened, and making it hard to open; which needs no adjustmentafter being installed; which needs no changes whatever to be used oneither right or left hand doors; which has the same speed at all pointswhen door is closing.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a door check andcloser, the combination of a casing, comprising an upper and lowerportion spaced apart, a driving shaft rotatably mounted in saidportions, a brake band bridging said space and connecting said portionsin a manner to pro vide an annular ring between said portions, a liningsecured to said band within said annular ring, a frictional brakemounted on said shaft and designed to engage said lining on apredetermined movement of said shaft and a motor for rotating saidshaft.

2. In a door check-and closer, a casing, a driven shaft, rotatablymounted in said casing, a gear mounted on said shaft outside of saidcasing, a lever fulcrumed on said casing, a segmental gear, rigidlyfixed to said fulcrumed' lever, intermediate its ends and adapted tomesh with and revolve said casing, a segmental gear fixed to saidfulcrumed lever intermediate its ends, and

adapted to mesh with and revolve about said first mentioned gear, a linkadapted to connect said fulcrumed lever to a door frame or the like, aspring motor for operating said shaft in one directionand 'meansdesignedto automatically retard the speed of said shaft when rotated by themotor.

4. In a door check andcloser', the combination of a casing, 7 a shaftrotatably mounted therein, a spring motor mounted on said shaft near oneside of the casing for operating said shaft, a link loosely mounted onsaid shaft'adjacent to the spring motor, frictional expanding brakes]pivotally connected to said link and adapted to engage saidycasingadjacent to the spring motor, a small gear formed integral with saidlink, a second gear loosely mounted on said-shaft adjacent to said smallgear, a ratchet gear fixed to'said shaft adjacent to said second mountedgear and means for operatively connecting said gears on a predeterminedmovement of said shaft, a stub shaft rigidly mounted in the oppositeside teasers of said casingand a double faced gear rotatahly mounted onsaid stub shaft substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a door check and closer, the combination of a casing consisting ofupper and lower cylindri -al portions, a brake hand for connecting saidportions, a shaft rotatably mounted in the sides of said casing, aspring motor mounted on said shaft in the upper portion of said casing,a link rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent to the spring motor andprovided with pivotally mounted brake shoes for engaging said brakeband, a small gear formed on the hub of said link, a gear looselymounted on said shaft adjacent thereto, a ratchet gear fixed to saidshaft adjacent to said last named gear means for operatively connectingsaid gears on redetermined movement of said shaft,

:1 stu shaft rigidly mounted in the lower portion of said casing, and adouble faced gear loosely mounted on said stuh shaft substantially asand for the purpose set forth. t3. lna door check and closer, thecombination of a casing, comprising an upper and lower portion spacedapart a. driving shaft rotatably mounted in said portions, a readilyremoved hand bridging said space and connecting said portions, africtional brake mounted on said shaft and designed to cooperate withsaid band-for retarding the movement of said" shaft on a pre-determinedmovement thereof and a motor for rotatime said shaft.

In witness whereof, I hereuntosubscribe my name to this specifi -ationin the presence of two witnesses:

THOMAS E. COLLINS.

V/itnesses Jessi-Hints HoL UIsT, Lemon Rows.

